Fear the Walking Dead

For years we have been hearing how The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead were two separate shows but a month ago at New York Comic Con, Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman teased that there would indeed be a crossover between the two shows. This announcement caused a flurry of predictions on the internet since no details were given on who, when, or which show in the Deadverse would host a familiar guest.

On Sunday night, however, fans finally got some answers as Chris Hardwick announced on The Talking Dead that the crossover character was TWD’s Morgan (Lennie James). What followed more resembled sizzle than steak: James gave an emotional farewell speech to fans and cast members alike while acknowledging that his FTWD filming would begin the next morning down in Austin, Texas. But while it all had a whiff on finality, Hardwick tried to soothe fans with a statement from TWD showrunner Scott M. Gimple that essentially begged viewers to forget James’ seeming farewell while promising that there was more story to tell for Morgan on the flagship show. Which, okay, but how much and what does it matter now that it seems like he’s a marked man?

We still have no idea exactly when, in Morgan’s (mostly established) timeline, his FTWD appearance will occur. Will the death of Morgan’s son Duane still seem fresh? Will he be the rage-filled killer he was before he met Eastman? Or will he be channeling the zen moves that Eastman taught him? He’s already been on a hell of a journey, going mad, resisting the pull to kill, and kind of going crazy again. Will seeing the seeds of that be compelling with knowledge of where he will wind up so fresh in the mind?

Morgan’s story isn’t the easiest to work into FTWD. There were plenty of other options that would have made more sense or pleased show fans. Some were sure that they’d see Abraham return from being pummeled to death by Negan and his bat, Lucille. FTWD is moving to Texas and Abraham did have ties to the area. But maybe the creative brain trust didn’t want to do something so obvious (or maybe Michael Cudlitz was busy). Others thought Madison would continue to turn from protective mom to unruly killer, but was it really realistic to assume FTWD could shed Kim Dickens or that her schedule would accommodate double duty? Additionally, the show could have even fleshed out the origin story of one of its popular big bads, exploring Negan or The Governor’s past.

All shows have rules and patterns but it’s hard to know sometimes with The Walking Dead, which means it can be hard to get a read on where they’re going — which is a joy and a frustration. That’s the kind of reputation you get when you play with viewers’ emotions and either fake deaths (as with Glenn and the dumpster before he went down for real) or resist giving characters a definitive end so as to seemingly have the chance to walk back their deaths. It’s Travis falling out of a helicopter with a bullet wound or not seeing Lori’s body. And the increasing ridiculousness of Maggie’s non-existant baby bump. Afterall you can have your leg chopped off, your eye stabbed with glass, be shot in the head and still live to fight zombies. Why wouldn’t Morgan be capable of entering a show based halfway across the country in the middle of the Apocalypse despite being grounded in the world of his old show?

In the end, Morgan may just be the tip of the iceberg of characters crossing over. Especially if ratings respond. Who knows, maybe the FTWD cast will start to infiltrate the flagship at some point. TWD is getting to the point where ratings are dropping a little and after 8 seasons, it’s possible that costs may start to lead to a few (more) painful goodbyes. All of this is wild speculation, but what more does the WalkingDead-verse leave us to do but watch, wait, and wonder if this is really the best move for both shows or simply another random thing that may or not work out and may not even make sense when held under a microscope.

This season of Fear The Walking Deadhas been outstanding. Not only is the show not bound to the already established storyline from the comics (and therefore free to do whatever the hell it wants, as long as it adheres to the rules of The Walking Dead), but the show has had our main characters separate from each other, and go on their own dark paths. In the mid-season finale, the Clark family realized they were on the wrong side of a war (which they ended up in conflict with former friend Ophelia) and took matters into their own hands, and Strand and the newly revealed to be alive Salazar were having their own journeys (sometimes at odds with each other). How much longer until the gang’s all back together, and will they be on the same side?

On the surface, Star Trek and The Walking Dead don’t have a lot in common. One is a hopeful, inspirational tale of exploration and diplomacy in deep space in the 23rd century, and the other is an almost nihilistic story about survivors of a zombie plague who constantly have to be as concerned about the living as they are about the dead. Still, someone is making the comparison, but it’s not based on any narrative similarities, but rather the series’ longevity. As Star Trek marks 50 years this year, the AMC bosses of The Walking Dead see just an equally as grand an opportunity ahead for Dead. (more…)

Both Fear The Walking Dead and The Walking Dead had panels at San Diego Comic-Con to showcase what lies ahead for both zombie apocalypse dramas. Both panels were moderated by Talking Dead’s Chris Hardwick.

Fear the Walking Dead premiered with the highest ratings in cable history. Fans couldn’t seem to get enough of AMC’s original stories about the zombie apocalypse. Fear continued with the themes that fans love about the original series The Walking Dead. It also had one thing the original didn’t, the beginning.

The intentionally-short first season of Fear the Walking Dead draws to a close with this episode, leaving viewers firmly split on whether this series is a worthy successor/companion to The Walking Dead – or even if it’s a series they want to continue watching at all.

WARNING: What you’re about to read contains spoilers about this episode and possibly this season of Fear the Walking Dead. Proceed at your own risk/reward!

It’s tough being a younger sibling. Fear the Walking Dead has had to work extremely hard to live up to the expectations and standards set by its “big brother,” The Walking Dead. Not everyone thinks that Fear is doing enough to be seen as a worthy complement to The Walking Dead’s universe at best, and that it’s possibly not even a decent standalone TV show at worst. With only one episode more until the end of the first season, things are definitely building to a head – but will viewers care enough to want to stick around into a second season?

WARNING: What you’re about to read contains spoilers about this episode and possibly this season of Fear the Walking Dead. Proceed at your own risk/reward!

If you thought last week’s episode of Fear the Walking Deadwas really slow and were nodding off, checking your phone, or just grabbing a beer real quick you might have missed it, but apparently a ton of other folks didn’t and are now convinced that Chandler Riggs, aka Carl from The Walking Dead made an appearance on Fear the Walking Dead‘s last episode. Take a look at their screen shots and tell us what you think. (more…)

After Episode 3, “The Dog,” took major leaps in the right direction for the overall storyline of Fear the Walking Dead, the fourth episode, “Not Fade Away,” may give viewers a “one step forward, two steps back” vibe with its haphazard construction and sluggish pace.

WARNING: What you’re about to read contains spoilers about this episode and possibly this season of Fear the Walking Dead. Proceed at your own risk/reward!

As the first season of Fear the Walking Dead progresses, it inevitably moves further away from the “talking about the zombie apocalypse” stage and progresses into the “in the thick of the sh!tstorm of the zombie apocalypse” stage, where – let’s face it – most fans want the show to be. Last night’s episode, “The Dog,” took a major leap in that direction… so let’s talk all about it!

WARNING: What you’re about to read contains spoilers about this episode and possibly this season of Fear the Walking Dead. Proceed at your own risk/reward!

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